Braskem
A super-stable and efficient process license,
backed by a 100-year reliable operational record.
We have reached a future that we never imagined,
where conventional wisdom has been overturned.
Before
Was seeking to implement a commercially-proven and highly efficient high-pressure EVA/LDPE technology license, with good safety records.
After
Through Sumitomo's EVA/LDPE technology license, which has been in operation since the 1970s, we succeeded in gaining not only a highly stable and efficient process but also one with a comparatively lower CAPEX and outstanding safety track record.
What made you select Sumitomo EVA/LDPE Process License?
Although the high-pressure LDPE production technology is historically, a well-developed technology since the 1930s, if careful design backed by decades of operational experiences is not implemented, then sustaining a higher production efficiency of the process under higher temperatures, pressures and other challenging conditions, is usually more likely than not, to lead to severe problems, sometimes culminating in the ultra-high-pressure contents in the reactor being ejected out of the reactor. The operation of the process therefore requires a high degree of balance (experience) and knowledge.
Going back more than 50 years, we, Politeno (which later merged into Braskem) were seeking to implement not only a commercially-proven technology for high-pressure EVA/LDPE process technology, but one that was highly efficient and stable with a low CAPEX as well. However, with the knowledge that in the LDAPE/EVA process, efficiency and stability are not always compatible, we were wondering how to strike the right balance, and in the midst of this dilemma, we came into contact with Sumitomo's LDPE/EVA technology.
How did Sumitomo technology License help Braskem?
Braskem is a company that has grown significantly with a wide range of technologies, adopting various licensed technologies.
Compared to other technologies, the Sumitomo process has a better track record with the process decomposition phenomena, which usually result in the reactor contents being ejected out of the reactor at enormously high pressures, with severe consequences. In Sumitomo’s case, the process is stable, and the operations are smooth and normal.
The secret to our stable operations can be attributed to the double-reactor system developed by Sumitomo.
At first, we had the impression that the double reactor system would be more complicated to operate than a single reactor, but came to realize that it is just as easy to operate as any other single-reactor process.
What is Braskem’s future outlook?
In general, an average life span of a chemical plant is said to be around 40 years. However, the LDPE and EVA processes, which were introduced in the 1970s, are still in active services today. The two processes are still in operation and continue to support our (Braskem) PE portfolio, as they are both stable and efficient. Although the times have changed since the 1970s and technologies continue to evolve, Sumitomo’s LDPE and EVA plants have not faded in performance, but remain stable and reliable, such that we believe that we can continue using them for several decades to come.
Remarks by Sumitomo Chemical
- ･ In the 1970s, we used to offer straight licenses, but upon receiving an exceeding number of interests and quotations on the LDPE/EVA technologies, we decided in the 1980s to only limit the offerings to our joint ventures. We have however restored our offering on the technologies to straight licensing!
- ･ In 2019, our licensing staff visited the plant in Braskem and found that photographs of the plant when it was built were displayed at the entrance to the office. A 40th anniversary celebration plate was also displayed, showing how the technology we licensed was so valued at Braskem. It is our firm determination to continue aiming to meet the needs that existed 50 years ago and will continue to exist for several decades to come. We are determined to ensure that our licenses continue to earn the trust of our licensees for many centuries ahead.